People who have Baby on Board signs in their car and drive like lunatics

[MissCromwellatKingscote]

Happened again this morning. A car came speeding down the road behind me then veered off into the next lane. The Baby on Board sign in the rear window just seemed like the ultimate cheek.

If you want people to drive carefully around your loved ones, perhaps show them the same respect,

Does she not have to drive carefully around other children (or indeed everyone) while demanding that people accord her extra respect because she has a baby?

Absolutely. I think a lot of us are a bit guilty of this, though, and not just with driving. I know I drive a lot more slowly with my PFB in the car, which is deeply hypocritical/selfish - as you say, if I don't think my driving is safe enough for a baby then I shouldn't be doing it around other people's babies, either. It's subconscious, though - I don't usually realise I'm doing it. It's probably quite a natural instinct, but one to be resisted!

Fucking ridiculous things which have no real world use at all.

And if you can read them on the car in front at motorway speeds you are driving far to close!

Just a load of smug nonsense by the kind of parents who think having a baby must give them priority treatment wherever they go.

I don't think it has anything to do with information, priority or a mega statement. I think people just find car nick nacks cute and it is just a statement about who they are, you can get other signs too such as princess on board, grumpy old man on board, surfer on board etc...I have also seen marijuana symbols too (never assumed they were smoking weed while driving because of the sign)

But a lot of people never have car knick knacks and only put up the Baby on Board sign because they now have a child.

I didn't like them but then I was told by a medic that if there is a multi car pile up (mainly motorway etc) and cars are bent and its difficult to see into the twisted up vehicles, if they spot one of those signs they priorotise trying to get the kids out.
I know if cars are mangled, chances of survival can be quite low and the chance of seeing that sign may be low but I will never apologise to all the judgemental people out there who look down their noses at people like me who have those signs... If it gives my kids a better chance of being saved then judge away. My kids are way more important than your bitchiness and judgement

YANBU.

Although I can't say I've ever thought that those who have them are entitled and smug. If anything I imagine people who have anxiety display them. Perhaps it makes them feel more confident to drive with their DC if they believe others will be more cautious.

Who knows.

So @mushroom do you remove the sign every time none of your babies/ kids are in there?
Just so another child’s life isn’t jeopardised in the event their parents don’t have one of them?

After all, we can’t see into the future and whether or not we will have a car crash that day?

And it think it goes without saying we all know others children to be more important than a stranger’s opinion

@Eatmycheese I always do and pop it in my glove box(it takes 2 seconds)although it is very rare I ever use that car without the kids in it, if I'm going without the kids I use dhs car (no car seats in). I suffer with anxiety and driving in the car with my kids always makes me anxious incase something bad happens, I do everything to try keep them safe and I get fed up with people judging when all I'm trying to do is keep my kids safe

Well @MushroomRaviolli if you really do this, then you will be in the absolute minority. Two cars or not. I see dozens of folk driving with them in every day who do not have kids in their car.

But @MushroomRaviolli the fact is that the emergency services don't acknowledge the signs the way this Medic told you they do.

I have a baby on board sign because I was challenged a while ago when I parked in a parent and child space as they didn't immediately see my baby (they didn't give me a chance to unload him from the car before they started shouting at me). It actually shook me up a bit.

It's apparently a load of crap that they're for the emergency services but it makes me feel less like I'm going to be shouted at for parking in a P&C space. So they aren't useless IMO.

@Didntwanttochangemyname well ill take the medics word over a stranger in the internet, no offence! And psychologically if a human sees there is a child in danger they're more likely to help them first, be it a medic or a member of the public who are first at the scene of an accident. I'm sorry you're so offended

It's a slightly more reliable sign for emergency services when they see an actual baby seat in the car! And even these could have been empty anyway.

I am not sure the signs are enough to allow you to park in a parent & child space though

But that doesn't make sense. The majority of people with young children probably don't have those signs so surely the emergency services will always make sure that there are no children trapped in the car.

Likewise, the vast majority of people who have them leave them in the car regardless of whether the children are in the car or not. So they're a pretty useless guide as to whether the ES should look for a child or not.

I really think you've been misinformed mushroom.

I have one of these signs and even I’m a bit embarrassed by it, but I was given three when I had my son, so I’ve regifted two!
It’s like that bloody ‘The Baby’ ladybird boom, think we got 5 of those, and passed on 4.

Who is actually buying them?

@Lydiaatthebarre read my prev comment! And maybe I have been misinformed, maybe I haven't but I can tell you with 100% certainty that I'm not about to remove my sign and chance my children being overlooked in an accident just so strangers don't get annoyed by it.

OP, are you sure you weren’t just overtaken? You don’t give any details of your speed, road type etc. For all we know you were doing 40 on a dual carriageway and someone driving completely normally passed you at 70.

I think you've got it wrong as well Mushroom. I very much doubt the emergency services will take any notice of a baby on board sign. Too many people leave them up all the time, and lots of people with children don't use them. Not to mention the fact that many people drive nephews, nieces, friends children or grandchildren around and don't have signs in their window.

If you want to use them do, but no need to be so antagonistic towards those who think they're pointless or silly.

The idea that it's to alert the medical services is laughable. It's a small sticker on a surface designed to shatter into tiny fragments if struck with enough force. Good luck with seeing said small sticker if a car is so damaged that you can't see the occupants or a child seat. I worked in a job where we had dozens of damaged vehicles, some of which had resulted in fatalities, come in every day. There's not a chance in hell that you'd have seen a sticker like that in cars that had been involved in a major crash.

I hate those signs. You think emergency services won't bother having a quick squizz in a car to look for casualties unless you have one? Pffft!

As for medics and police officers, they're as fond of urban myths as anyone, possibly even more.

No Max it was a main road with traffic slowing down as it came to traffic lights. The other car came zooming up, braked behind me then veered into the other line before being forced to stop at a red light.

Doesn’t sound that unreasonable to me but I guess I wasn’t there. Assuming two lanes at the lights to go straight on?

I cringe inwardly every time I see one of those signs, having a baby hasn't changed my feelings towards them.